When asked if Boyntons arrest has led him to believe that case should be reopened, Yates said, No. Matthew and Jessica's two sons are still inside. "Another reasonable explanation is that there was a fight over the gun and during the course of that she was injured, Matthew thought she was dead and put the gun underneath.". Do you think Matthew did something? he asked her bluntly. Dispatcher: Any weapons inside the house? BROTHERHOOD does not mean coverup or being above the law. Jessica Boynton was found shot in the closet with her. Making his way outside, he calls for assistance over his radio. "Recently she did confirm that the second baby is not mine," Matthew tells the GBI investigator. I told him, You're going to have to go get it, because I cant get it out of the case., Do you know how it was that you got shot?, Have you ever had any type of thoughts about hurting yourself?. If he's willing to cheat on his wife, he's willing to cheat the law., She wanted to file for divorce, says Kshywonis. Yes, I didn't have time, you know with everything going on, I didn't think anything about getting any other clothes, so I didn't know if y'all would want these or not. "Matthew. Just minutes after Jessica is airlifted to an Atlanta trauma center, Sheriff Beam asks deputies to deliver the devastating news to Jessica's family that she's dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. ", "There are two theories in this case, the first is that she shot herself and on the way to the ground she accidentally fired the gun a second time. That's what Jessica and Matthew Boynton thought would happen when they said "I do.". She remembered an instance when Matthew asked her grab his gun. Boynton in January denied being in possession of any of Lesters personal property. As part of that case, Lt. Karen Yancy, who leads the GPD Criminal Investigation Division, spoke with Boynton and on Jan. 5, reported, On Dec. 19, 2016, I spoke with Matthew Boynton about these items. Matthew Boynton allegedly deprived ex-wife Jessica Lester of her belongings and lied to the authorities about doing so, Griffin police Lt. Michael Natale said in a statement. One of those bullets went through the roof, the other lodged into the baby's bedroom wall. The paramedic begins accessing her head wound, but they're having a hard time finding it through her hair and thick blood. This stinks, and the fact remains, it appears he tried to kill his wife, so what are you guys going to do?? The glowing yellow and black, blocked-letter Waffle House sign illuminates his truck as he drives by, turning around to head back home. But someone else did. GBI director Vernon Keenan wrote a letter indicating the gunshot wound was self-inflicted by Jessica, closing the case. I know that we got into an argument, but that's about all," she said, not remembering much of what had happened on April 15. [Im] gonna have to kick that door in Jones relays to the other officers standing on the other side of the closet, barreling through it in just two swift and deliberate kicks. Is that what you're saying?" "There was no testing done on his clothing," said Sheila Mathews. Warner Bros. Entertainment | Police investigate further and find a gun underneath Jessicas limp body. And her lawyer was useless I wrote to her years ago. Her husband, Matthew Boynton, was at a nearby restaurant when he got a text from Jessica that read like a suicide note. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. "It doesn't sound like anything I would say," said Jessica Boynton. She would never have done this. However, Yates said, that's not that uncommon. Her ex-husband and former Griffin police officer Matthew Boynton was investigated in the case, but was only charged with making . For the wife of a Georgia police officer, answering that question is unfortunately turning out not to be so simple. I never wanted to hurt myself before, she said, going on to say that shes never handled a gun, nor shot one. I would have said, 'I can't do this anymore, comma, take care of Tolin and Tyler, period.' "The stuff that he was texting her was, you know, 'LOL's," said Sanders. It's the second infidelity in their relationshipJessica admitted to cheating on him before they were married. Security camera captures the family walking in around 10:15 p.m. I can't even get it out of its case, she replied. My understanding of the laws of physics is that one person cannot be in two places at the same time," Mathews said in an interview with 11Alive. With his gun raised, holding it out and in front of him with both hands, Jones passes by a framed portrait hung on the wall. Ad Choices, Griffin police Lt. Michael Natale said in a statement. He also reported hearing two gunshots and. GRIFFIN, Ga. Standing inside her closet, wearing tan slippers adorned with fur, black yoga pants and a red T-shirt, Jessica Boynton contemplates what to wear. Who shot Jessica Boynton? A new podcast investigates | wbir.com "He said 'What's wrong? Once the investigation was closed, reporter and publisher, Sheila Mathews, investigated the shooting for her newspaper, The Grip. She alleged that many of Lesters belongings remained in Boyntons residence. Officer Boynton hung up and did not respond to multiple messages, while the GBI refused to talk about the closed case. Chris DeMarco, GBI's assistant special agent in charge, arrives on the scene and meets with Griffin Police Chief Michael Yates for a briefing. The doctor said the second most striking observation while assessing Jessica was that neither of her hands had any evidence of gunpowder. On May 11, Will Sanders met withYancy and Sgt. Matthew, grandson of then-sheriff of Spalding County, texts a fellow Griffin Police officer. And they said yes. They investigate further and find a gun underneath Jessica's limp body. Jessica has given Will every piece of evidence in her case, including that divorce diary. "I saw a lot of things change after time. He said the description of a self-inflicted gunshot wound didn't fit, noting her pristine and unmarked hands and calling it a very unusual direction in which to point the gun at one's self with the intention of committing suicide., First of all, the wound that she suffered was toward the vertex of her skull on the right side of her head; this would imply that she shot herself with a gun pointed downward near the top of her skull., The second most striking observation he said he made while assessing Jessica was neither of her hands had any evidence of any gunpowder stippling from gunpowder blowback.. Matthew Boynton along with Lee Boynton, Josh Guthrie and Courtney Callaway moved all of my personal belongings from the residence. "He told 911 that he was so worried and he was trying to get back to the house as fast as possible. With the suicidal text message and Jessica's DNA found on her husband's gun, less than a month after her hospital bed interview, Matthew was verbally cleared by the GBI, according to the chief, and as of June 6, Matthew returned to full duty with a new service weapon on his hip. "I think it was in the heat of the moment, he was angry with me. It can be inferred that approximately half or more cops are abusive husbands/wifebeaters. "Being in the closet," said Jessica. Boynton: Can you please dispatch a unit out to my location, in reference to my wife? The 20-year-old says he's heading to Waffle House for a late night food run with on-duty cop and best friend, Officer Joshua Guthrie--leaving his service weapon at home, in its holster and in the closet. Man that young girl deserves justice, it really smells like the cop snapped and tried to kill her, especially during the night of interview when he starts talking fast and over explaining his actions like I didnt even wash my hands. Sanders wants to know how Matthew was texting his mistress from this very phone if he never reentered the apartment. But Jessica's trauma surgeon, a 30-year veteran in the field, had a few thoughts of his own about what could have happened and what likely did not happen that night. A body-cam captures her inconsolable baby boy in the arms of an officer. A lot, she said, doesn't add up. Once the scene is secure, investigator Misty Gresham checks on Tollin, who's sleeping, and Tyler, who is awake and still crying in his cribboth unharmed. They are 50% more likely to commit police brutality. Theres a lot of speculation and a lot of theory, but evidence is not there to cause me to do that., When told The GRIP had received information that the Griffin Police Department had contact the GBI Friday morning prior to Boyntons arrest, and asked the basis of that call, Yates said, That would be just to let them know what were doing.. Does Jessica know whether the cops ever swabbed her hands? The neighbor says Jessica started documenting all the sordid details of the affair in her secret red "divorce diary." How did Jessica react when she saw those messages? Its so obvious a coverup. According to a press release issued by the Griffin Police Department, Boynton was on Friday arrested without incident and transported to the Spalding County Jail. It could have been simply that um, all his, he left his stuff there. "I would not have said that to him," said Jessica. But where's the second round? He lied about the lock then he says he kept his gun in there hmmm. Eventually, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation concluded what they believe happened inside that closet; Matthew Boynton was never charged with any connection in harming his wife. However, the GBIs own photographs, search warrant and evidence log all corroborate that the officers phone was on the kitchen counter after Matthew had already left the apartment. Boynton was released from the Spalding County Jail Friday night on a $4,806 cash bond. A lot of times its two or three or more days, Yates said. Unfortunately Matthew Boynton didn't have anything to say. At the time of the shooting Jessica was looking to make a new start for herself and two young sons. That's not what the surveillance tape shows. She's like 'I got you where I want you and you're gonna go down for this,' and he pulls his gun out and she runs into the closet to hide, and instead of shooting her, he hits her on the head with a baton," said the neighbor. At that exact point the interviewing officer detected something fishy, forced him to stop giving himself away and ended the interview and therefore night of investigation. Her head shaved. They're re slit open while her head flops from side to side on the beige carpet, as one female EMS works on her. A message to Matthews phone is received and marked as read, from his girlfriend--from inside the evidence bag. Chris DeMarco, GBIs assistant special agent in charge, arrives on the scene and meets with Griffin Police Chief Michael Yates for a briefing. If I could have been there 10 minutes earlier I could have jumped in front of the gun and try to get it from her man., Where did she shoot herself at? They're saying it was self-inflicted, she said. | Examine the evidence yourself, calls 911, reaching Spalding County dispatch. His phone is pretty active tonight. Earlier that night Jessica's husband Matthew headed to Waffle House for a late-night bite with a fellow officer, leaving his service weapon . They were calling me the miracle child Because what I went through, not a lot of people survive through it, she told 11Alive's Brendan Keefe, nearly six months after the incidenther golden blonde hair now growing back. Jones checks on a locked closet door between the master bedroom and hallway, across from the bathroom. On something like this, does it usually take a while?, Right now it depends on what happens with Jessica, too. Based on that acknowledgement, The GRIP asked if it would not alleviate legal concerns pertaining to the chain of custody, and furthermore, why Boynton was not also charged with theft. Privacy Policy | "I don't really know what happened in the closet, I just know that I did not try to kill myself," said Jessica Boynton. Once he arrives on the scene, Trammel makes contact with Matthew, who tells him that he and his wife got into an argument. "Well listen, if you're going to start quoting, you gonna start recording these things, you need to let me know ahead of time before you do, before I'm starting answering questions," DeMarco ordered the reporter. And, unfortunately it appears those questions will never be answered," Mathews said. A message to Matthew's phone is received and marked as read, from his mistress. Guthrie calls Matthew and they chat for two minutes. By June 6, Matthew returned to full duty with a new service weapon in his holster. Despite their problems, Matthew tells investigators he still loved Jessica and the boys, and he offers an explanation for why he didn't run in the apartment that terrible night to save them. Matthew admits to having an affair. Just days after running into Officer Boynton, I received a threatening email that reads in part: "Are You An Intelligent Enough Investigative Journalist To Know When You Are Being Conned or Do You Have To Be Spoon Fed? 478-993-3053. An officer tries to console his grieving coworker. While Trammel's body cam is out of juice tonight, Jones's bodycam spots Trammel as the other officers enter the apartment. In 2016, something terrible happened to Jessica Boynton, a 19-year-old mother of two. The GBI is a joke as well How does Jessica explain the "suicide text" sent from her phone less than 10 minutes before her husband Matthew called 911 in a panic? SHE WAS NOT SHOT.and do they really think that she would have hit herself hard enough with any object to cause the damage that was done? Matthew, 20, quickly called 911 and said he had received an alarming text message from his wife, claiming she was going to commit suicide, cops said. The agent then probes Matthew, asking if he has a girlfriend. Furthermore, he said, it's his observation that self-inflicted gunshot wounds are very unusual among women. ! his girlfriend texts him. I was looking for a job and I finally found one. "She logged on to his Facebook, we got his Facebook messages and printed them out and started reading the messages between him and the lady from the dispatch," said the unidentified neighbor. Jessica and Matthew Boynton got married at an extremely young age. She told the agent, they were at home when they argued about his mistress and the photo that Jessica found on his phone that night. No, never. She made a full recovery, but doesn't remember a thing. This couldn't happen man. Shortly afterward, Matthew begins texting Jessica about going to Walmart to pick up baby formula. Get him downstairs, one of the officers whispers to another. Having previously learned of the new evidence that was turned in to the Griffin Police Department May 11 and the Internal Affairs investigation that resulted, The GRIP on July 7 submitted an Open Records request for information in the case. "What you're saying to me, that's not, you know, I don't see anything he did wrong by saying that," Fred Mays told Mathews. My kids are at home with her, so I'm trying to hurry up and get back there., I'm driving. As he drove he received a text message from Jessica's phone. That is not a reaction that I can relate to.". Their neighbor says Jessica wasn't suicidal at all. Sanders says there are a few things that really stand out: The red sweatshirt Matthew offered police to test for gunshot residue. They wanted me to come back Friday for orientation for the job, she said. Matthew Boynton interrogation video with Griffin Police Department. Her condition.. Jessica Boynton's husband says he gets a suicidal text from his estranged wife, so he rushes home, only to hear two gunshots. Earlier that night Jessica's husband Matthew headed to Waffle House for a late-night bite with a fellow officer, leaving his service weapon . Who shot Jessica Boynton? A new podcast investigates | wwltv.com He reads another text from his girlfriend, while driving 90 mph. Because if you go to the photographs that are part of your investigative case file, there's a photograph after the evidence report for his cell phone" she said. To stage a suicide," said the neighbor. "Her hands appeared to be pristine, but also he noted that she had no gunpowder burns.". She wants to give her new employers the right impression, since tomorrow is her first day at a chiropractor's office. Matthew's hands were not tested for gunpowder either. A lot," said the neighbor. Jessica Boynton, once declared dead, is alive and talking. My kids are at home with her, so I'm trying to hurry up and get back there., I'm driving. That was the best physical evidence that we had, Yates said. Matthew makes it home, jumps out of his truck, races through the breezeway of his apartment building and bolts up the stairs. I mean you can't prove that," DeMarco. Matthew Boynton: The evidence and investigation that led to his arrest If someone from the GBI does not reopen this.. well, I have to get my ducks in a row before I open another huge can of worms.. Her blond hair is now red from what cops assume is a self-inflicted gunshot wound. They turn her over from her stomach to her back. Maybe Jessica would remember why and when the door knob was swapped because it happened before that night. He was there to tell the court that he wanted to keep Jessica away from him and their two sons, because he said, he feared for their safetybecause she allegedly fired his gun in the house while their boys were home. Thank God she fought and he was in there with her. OR OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. Jones checks on a locked closet door between the master bedroom and hallway, across from the bathroom. "If they put out a report I spend a lot of time fact-checking it and making sure what they're telling is the truth," said Sanders. "That was when approximately 24 minutes into the conversation, his demeanor changed and everything flipped," she recalled. His phone was left inside their apt, yet he says he never entered it.. so many lies the grandfather called Jessicas family and informed them she was DEAD! She thinks he found it before the incident. I don't know if it's just his job or what, but like I said I don't think he would intentionally hurt me.. One of about 70 messages they exchange throughout the night. That bastard is so guilty every time they show the door knob and any badge that doesnt know that shouldnt have one. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. And I could have been the next target.. Example video title will go here for this video. Her head shaved. "The neighbors [said] somewhere around 11 p.m., and he is the only one who hears the gunshots at 1 a.m., and he calls it in," said Sanders. I was, he says to the GBI agent. Especially because of my children. He calls out for Jessica, but no answer. Her head wound has soaked into the green and white pillow her head is resting onher blood is contained to that one stain and a few nearby drops. Matthew calls another officer and reports Jessica is refusing to leave with him. It sounded like a gunshot. Hewrote a letter to Jessicas attorneyon June 10, in which he questioned the finding that Jessicas head injury was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, indicating that there was no investigation conducted by authorities at the hospital. Officer Robert Brian Jones shouts, as he travels deeper inside the two-bedroom apartmenthis weapon drawn. "She was actually happy, she was thrilled because she finally got that closure that she needed," says the neighbor. giving him custody, and granting Jessica once-weekly. Its a question 11Alive investigators asked a few months ago, when Griffin Police Officer Matthew Boyntons wife, Jessica, allegedly shot herself in the head with his service weapon, inside the master bedroom closetlocked from the inside. With dark, latex gloves on, an officer kneels down and touches her neck with his fingers. Of course the Grandfather could not be reached for a comment, he had it covered up. The way our charter is structured, termination takes two or three days. Did investigators look for a blunt object? Both Jessica and Matthew reportedly want a divorce. A phone that text messages were sent and received to/from following his recollection of hearing,POP-POP! and running out of the apartment. Crime Watch Daily reached out to Officer Matthew Boynton and got no response. After just six months of marriage, the Boyntons' one-time neighbor says she saw their young love grow toxic. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. Womens clothing items and an orthodontic retainer turned in to the Griffin Police Department by Will Sanders has been established to have belonged to Jessica Lester, the former wife of Matthew Boynton. A tactical sweep finds an 8-month-old baby screaming. Here lately I have not been able to recognize the person I see in the mirror. He was going to clean his gun and he asked me to go get it for him. Was the investigation a mess up or a cover up? DeMarco pressed Mathews. Jessica's hair is so matted with blood no one can find the actual gunshot wound to stop the bleeding. Uh, just my service weapon, he responds, ending the call just a minute later. RELATED: Who shot the officer's wife? Dr. Vernon Henderson, chief of Trauma and Critical Care at Atlanta Medical Center was on-call the morning Jessica came in and treated her for the next month while she was in the hospital. On Dec. 19, 2016, Lester met with GPD Investigator Dexter McCune regarding property she alleged Boynton had stolen. This is not the first time I have had suicide thoughts. A family of Marines is divided after father shoots ailing wife Like, how hours after the shooting, the phone was put into an evidence bag, sealed and logged into GBI evidence, it was still calling Matthew's girlfriend. Matthew makes it back to the apartment before help arrives and hears baby Tyler crying -- and then heartbreak. The doctor was not contacted by the GBI until July 20. She's breathing, but unresponsive. This activity on his cell phone had to have taken place inside the kitchen inside his apartment," Mathews said to DeMarco in a recorded phone conversation. They're my everything. GBI begins interviewing neighbors and Matthew interviews with the GBI later that morning. And he called the girlfriend, so Mays said to Mathews. UPDATE: This story was originally published in November 2016. Until recently, Matthew's grandfather, Wendell Beam, reigned as Spalding County sheriff. He bangs on the locked closet door. "The only thing that I can tell you is that Matthew Boynton's account of events are not correct.". She's having suicidal thoughts," he calmly says about Jessica to the dispatcher. A DISGRACE! I have been suffering for a while now and no one has noticed. "Be advised I smell gunsmoke, and I can't get an answer to the door," Boynton says on the call. "She's like, 'This is exactly what I need to get my divorce from him.'". From her hospital bed, she spoke to the GBI. Cops finally reach that locked closet door. What did Matthew do that he needed covering up? It appears it was self-inflicted. What! "I think I was hit over the head with something.". Honestly, I have no idea. Does she believe that this was just sloppy work or does she believe that this is a cover-up? A Griffin Police Officer's wife herself, the reporter called DeMarco, on Sept. 28, the investigator who was in charge of the investigation for the GBI, to question him about the case and the photo that nagged her, and that for her, called into question how anything they investigated was trustworthy. Any weapons inside the house? the dispatcher inquires. "I would want to know how he did it and how does he live with himself every day knowing that he did something like this," said Jessica. Jessica Boynton was just 19 years old when she was found inside a locked closet with a gunshot wound to her head. Agent DeMarco approaches Meagan Browning, who's joined by Eric Kshywonis, at 61 Ashford Waythe apartment just downstairs from Jessica and Matthew. Armed with body camera attached to their uniforms, the officers burst through the door, quickly passing Matthews phone, a black and grey Verizon LG smartphone, on the kitchen counter. But it's what those body cameras don't record that's raising eyebrows. Her shoulder-length, blonde hair is saturated in red. I do not have any other items of Jessicas.. "I have occasional headaches, but other than that everything's good," Jessica Boynton said. He later tells investigators that he heard Tyler crying, and then, POP-POP!. Did he cause his estranged spouses injury? A text messages is sent to his phone from Jessica's phone. GSW, possible to the head. Jessica's two boys, Tollin, 2, and baby Tyler, are sound asleep in their rooms. She just said that she's been experiencing suicidal thoughts right now, she told me to take care of the boys. Which is very off that this happened, because I never, ever had any thoughts like this before. Domestic violence has always been a precursor to violence in other areas. She's still breathing. His flashlights beam reveals a smiling family of four. Show the world how smart you are and uncover what the Wannabe investigative reporters couldn't figure out. 11Alive reached out to the GBI and Officer Matthew Boynton, however, neither returned our phone calls. In April 2016, the wife of a Griffin, Ga. police officer is found inside a locked closet. And that's all I needed, so I was on cloud nine.". She agreed to provide those items to Sanders, who then turned them in to the Griffin Police Department. She grabs his arm with her left hand, while her other arm falls to the ground. After studying Jessica Boynton's case, Miley sides with Jessica. The dining room table along with other items were picked up by Cathy Zellner for Jessica. Ive seen no evidence to indicate that would be necessary, but that does not preclude the GBI or anybody else from doing it if they choose. in the head..in hospital for a month..just an FYI. Ultimately, it came down to orthodontia Lesters retainer. In it, she logs Matthew Boynton's every move, including his unexplained disappearances with their two boys. To text back long story I'll tell you later.. GBI agents, however, have closed her case. What you have from a close range press contact wound is high-velocity blood spatter, which is very small, and it might not be very visible with the naked eye, or easily visible from photographs. No it wasn't. Jessica Lester-Boyntons property has already previously been returned to her by my step dad (Charles McDaniel Jr.) shortly after Jessica got out of the hospital. If the phone was found by the GBI in the kitchenif the phone is on police body camera footage sitting on the counter by the microwave, and he was outside never returning insidehow is it possible for Matthew to text his girlfriend, while he's calling in shots fired while outside of the apartment? When the officers pull Jessica's body out of the closet, they find Matthew's gun right underneath her, a .40-caliber Glock. If not, get on a plane and go HOME.". Matthew reads a text from Lt. Curtis Keys, look for police car.. The doctor believes Jessica's injuries may have been caused by blunt-force trauma. "She suspected Matthew was cheating on her and so she dug for information, and we found it," the neighbor said. Jones passes by a framed portrait hung on the wall. There were two bullets, on different walls inside the closet. In any case GPD/GBI are an absolute embarrassment to the state of GA! Unfortunately, the only person who may be able to answer that question is Jessica, and she was in a coma. I mean he might have grabbed my arm before, but I don't think he would intentionally do anything to hurt mebut like I said, he's changed so much here, lately, she said. The police department should be ashamed of themselves for trying to cover this up!!! The report states Matthew left Walmart without Jessica. "During that time I investigated hundreds of cases with gunshots and many, many suicides.". After you got on the radio and you were outside communicating on the radio, you never went back in to actually check, check on the kids, the agent questioned Matthew about once he removed himself from the apartment. Family and friends believe, in fact, they were married far too young. When asked if Boynton had explained why he allegedly kept his ex-wifes belongings, Yates said, No. But Griffin Police Chief Michael Yates said, Officer Boynton was not the shooter and trusts the investigations outcome. Which I knew that.. The babys muffled cry echoes, getting louder as the officers sweep their guns back and forth, searching for the shooter.

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